Caregiver Fatigue: What Is It & 5 Ways to Avoid It

By Stacy Lee, 10:48 am on November 28, 2017

If you have taken on the role of caring for a parent or elderly family member, you should make yourself aware of the symptoms of caregiver fatigue. Caregiver fatigue occurs when a caregiver is overwhelmed with their caregiving duties and disregards their own personal health and well-being.

It can lead to many serious issues like weakness, irritability, energy loss, sleep complications, headaches, social isolation, and depression. To avoid this happening to you, you must make it imperative to find a healthy balance between caregiving and your personal life. To avoid caregiver fatigue, try adhering to the following tips:

Exercise and Eat Well

Often, caregivers are so involved in caring for their loved one that they forget to take care of themselves. The importance of eating healthy and working out regularly cannot be overlooked. As a caregiver, you should make it a top priority to stick to a well-balanced, nutrient-rich diet and make time to go for a run, take a yoga class, ride your bike, or engage in any other physical activity at least a few days each week.

Schedule Time for Yourself

Whether it’s in the early morning before you get ready for your day or after you return home from your caregiving role, you should take the time to do something you love. You can have lunch with a friend, participate in a hobby, cook your favorite meal, or do anything else that will put a smile on your face and take your mind off of caregiving.

Take a Vacation

When you hit the wall, leaving your caregiving responsibilities for several days or weeks by going on vacation is a great idea, if possible in your situation. It will give you the chance to spend time with your loved ones and truly enjoy life so that you can return to caregiving refreshed and rejuvenated.

Ask for Help

Keep in mind that you are one person and cannot do everything. By asking for help with your caregiving tasks, you can easily alleviate unnecessary stress. You can ask another family member, a close friend, or a respite care provider (like Home Care Assistance) to help you care for your senior.

Join a Caregiver Support Group

Caregiver support groups are designed to give area caregivers the opportunity to gather and share their feelings and challenges related to caregiving with others going through very similar situations. Joining a caregiver support group can give you the chance to develop close-knit relationships with other individuals who know what it’s like to be in your shoes.

How Respite Care at Home Care Assistance Can Help

Home Care Assistance is pleased to offer hourly care services to caregivers in the Burlington area. If you need a well-deserved break from your caregiving duties, our highly-trained and experienced caregivers can provide your senior with care.

Whether you’d like a day off from caregiving or need a caregiver to care for your senior while you’re on a vacation, you can count on Home Care Assistance to help. For further information on hourly care services at Home Care Assistance as well as more tips on how to avoid caregiver fatigue, contact us or call at (802) 231-0415.